Shaun Burgoyne is 37, his nephew Trent, 18, but they may come up against each other this AFL season
Shaun Burgoyne is more than double the age of his nephew Trent and admits he has thought many times what it would be like to play against him this season – and can’t decide how he feels.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Why Burgoyne declined Sunset finish to stay at Hawks
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
He’s more than double his age and was there the day he was born, and now Shaun Burgoyne admits he is grappling with how he would feel if he had to play against nephew, Trent, who is a Port Adelaide rookie.
As Burgoyne, 37, enters the twilight of his career at Hawthorn, Trent, 18, is embarking on the start of his at Alberton where his father – and Shaun’s brother – Peter played 240 games and in the 2004 premiership.
Watch every match of every round of the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE & On-Demand with KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
“It’s unbelievably weird, I was there the day he was born, at the hospital holding him, and my brother (Peter) kicked me out of the house ‘I need your room, Shaun’,” Burgoyne told The Advertiser’s Black Australia podcast.
“I’ve watched him grow up but in Melbourne the last 10 years and hard to watch him play footy. He’s obviously playing some good footy as a junior, had some hamstring issues, but to still get drafted was a hugely proud moment for our family.
“I would have loved for Hawthorn to have drafted him and brought him over, but he’s staying home with Port and it’s a good reward for persistence and resilience and mental toughness and the sky is the limit now.”
With Trent still building his fitness and facing a challenge to break into Port Adelaide’s team in his debut season, it would appear highly unlikely he will get the chance to play against his uncle. But that hasn’t stopped Burgoyne wondering what it would be like if they did.
“It would be super, super weird if I had to play on him,” Burgoyne said.
“I was thinking about it a couple of times and I thought ‘I’d let him kick a goal on me’, then I’d think ‘no I wouldn’t, I’d try to hurt him’ and then I’d be ‘na, it’s my nephew I can’t hurt him’, so I’m torn.”
“I’ve been calling him my little nephew for a long time but he’s a man now and I’d be extremely proud if he got to play.”
Despite his lengthy lay-off with hamstring injuries last year, Trent has impressed in his first AFL pre-season.
He kicked a goal in the Power’s internal trial a fortnight ago and is expected to be available for Port’s under-23 trial game against the Crows at Thebarton Oval this Saturday.
The game begins at noon and will be live streamed.
Originally published as Shaun Burgoyne is 37, his nephew Trent, 18, but they may come up against each other this AFL season